Nothing More, Nothing Less
by Another Way
Summary: They were unable to escape the cruel fate they fell into. Both him and her. And while he offered a hand of sanctuary, she wouldn't take it, because in the end she knew it was far too late to save herself. She just wanted to accept it now. Nothing more and nothing less. Modern AU.


Okay everyone, this story is rated M for sexual content, language, and some possible violence or mild dark themes later on.

Now that I cleared that up, enjoy the story!

* * *

She was at a wedding. Her friend's wedding.

Everyone at the wedding was cheering for Ino and Sai: the newly couple that held the center of attention. Sakura glanced at them from a table away. The couple just finished the ceremony and were finally seated at their table. Sakura was glad, considering how exhausting the day must have been for the them. She honestly didn't know how those two kept going.

Sakura sat alone at her table. Initially, it was full of other people, but they all eventually just joined the dance floor in the center of the enormous room. The pinkette could only slouch at the thought. She'd never been to a wedding before, so when Ino invited her months ago, she was shocked to say the least. Now here she was, watching strangers get down on the dance floor while she sat drinking white champagne.

She took another sip from her glass, admiring the golden taste sliding down her throat. Sakura gazed back over at the couple. Ino looked amazing. Her hair was tied up into a neat bun while her white dress screamed fairy tale princess. It was a typical, puffy dress, but it looked beautiful nonetheless. Sakura's eyes stopped at the paled, black haired man who was sitting next to Ino. She was surprised by Sai. Sakura didn't know much about him, and the fact that he popped the question to Ino only after three years of dating seemed somewhat odd. It just seemed too fast and too young, but then again…

Sakura took another gulp of her champagne.

At least they were together. What did she know about love?

Sakura shifted herself in her chair, reverting her attention back to the dance floor. They looked to be slow-dancing. She didn't realized that the song had changed so suddenly. The pinkette admired the view: the couples dancing in the golden lights, the beautiful dresses many of the girls were wearing. She immediately glanced at her own charcoal colored dress: the other reason why the she didn't do weddings. While all the other girls had flowing party gowns, she wore a more formal dress that flowed down to her knees. It looked as though she was ready for a business interview. Though it looked professional, it wasn't proper for the event. Honestly, at this point, Sakura was surprised as to why Ino even placed her so close to her own table. She just wanted the night to end.

Suddenly, her phone started ringing through the dance music. Sakura snatched her black purse and rummaged through it before finding her mobile device. She subconsciously swiped her phone and viewed the recent text that was sent to her.

An involuntary sigh escaped her lips.

It was Shizune again, requesting for Sakura at the hospital. It's an emergency.

So much for that ending night…

With that, the pink haired girl snatched her purse and gulped down the last bit of champagne, slightly frowning when she was met with an empty glass. She stood from her seat and walked over to the newly wedded couple.

Ino clearly spotted her, and called out to her as the pinkette reached the table.

"Sakura," Ino cheered, "let's dance together!"

Sakura gave an annoyed look at the bride before replacing it with a weak smile.

"Shizune called me up again. I'm needed at the hospital."

"What? Forehead, please tell me you're joking," the blonde girl whined in an irritated tone, "I thought you took the day off."

Oh, Sakura did take the day off, but it wasn't a surprise to her that she would get called back to the hospital. It was too typical.

Sakura knelt down next to the bride. She could see Sai holding Ino's left hand from behind where she sat. Sakura grabbed her right with both her hands, dropping her phone and purse in the process. She gave the bride a genuine smile.

"I was there for the ceremony, wasn't I?" the pinkette asked her blond friend, "it was amazing. You were beautiful." She released the bride's hand and gave her a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Ino."

"Thanks Sakura," Ino replied, hugging her tightly in return.

Moments later, the two separated from their embrace, and Sakura grabbed her things.

"Oh, wait!" Ino suddenly claimed in haste. Sakura glanced up as she stood from her previous position on the ground.

"I know that you didn't win the bouquet during the bouquet toss, but here," the bride said, as she reached for the vase of flowers on the table. Sakura caught on to her immediately.

"It's not like I wanted to win Ino! It's not that important," Sakura reasoned with the bride, but she wouldn't have any of it. The bride pulled out a white carnation flower from the vase before handing it to Sakura.

"Let's hope that you can meet a hottie."

"Ino please," Sakura complained, taking the flower in the end, "I don't need this."

"Keep telling yourself that," Ino teased as she waved off Sakura, "good luck Forehead! See you in a couple of months." Sakura couldn't help but scoff.

"Bye Ino-Pig. Bye Sai. Enjoy your honeymoon."

With that said, Sakura walked out of the massive room, heels clicking with each dreaded step.

Her chest began aching with pressure.

* * *

He was at a bar. Waiting for her.

Though he was sitting at a bar, he was not there for a drink. Although temptation was a bit too persuading, he was just there to wait. Sasuke had gotten a call from her earlier today, and he was told to wait for her there until she left the party occurring a block away. He glanced over at his watch to check the time. It was five minutes til nine: about 8:55 pm. Now would be a decent time to pick her up. She would be leaving about now.

With that, Sasuke stood from his seat and immediately walked out of the bar. He wasn't going to waste any more time. Not when the night was about to begin.

Sasuke walked out of the bar and was welcomed with the cool night sky. He immediately set off down the road, strolling through the block.

He wasn't informed much about the event she was at. Sasuke was only informed that it was a wedding.

As he continued to walk down the street, Sasuke pulled his jacket closer in: an attempt to warm himself

Damn, it was a cold night.

Stopping in his tracks, Sasuke smirked at the thought. At least he wouldn't be cold for long.

Nearing the building that Sasuke was informed about, the man began to wonder why he was doing this in the first place. He didn't have to pick her up; she could have just met up with him at his place herself. But then again…

Sasuke stopped in his pace, as he finally arrived at the front of the building.

Honestly, he just needed this night as much as she did.

He waited at the bottom of the cement stairs that led up to the building as he peered above at the building that the wedding was being held. The building seemed pretty tall, as though it was meant to be a hotel or a company building. In the end, Sasuke didn't care.

The dark haired beauty glanced over at his watch before pacing in a circle as he continued to wait for her. She said that she would be here soon, so what's taking her, Sasuke let out a tsk as his irritation began to grow.

Not long after his thought, he heard the clicking of heels escape the building doors. Sasuke turned his attention to the top of the steps where she was, smiling gleefully at him.

"Karin."

And with that acknowledgement, Karin raced down the steps as she practically jumped into an unnecessary hug.

"Sasukeeh! Long time no see!" the red headed girl claimed as she unlatched herself from the handsome man. Sasuke stared down at her to find her wearing a little more makeup than usual with a sparkling red dress that extended down to her feet, accentuating the curves of her hips and breasts while exposing her slender leg.

"Like what you see?" Karin asked, obviously taking notice of his roaming eyes.

Sasuke only smirked and chuckled at her.

"You still haven't paid me Karin," Sasuke stated, quick to bring up the true matter at hand.

"Sasuke, you're always so direct." Karin sighed with a shrug, "you're lucky that it actually helps add to your attractiveness," she finished as she rummaged through her small white purse that Sasuke did not initially notice.

Karin continued to search through her purse for the money. "Believe it or not, I actually have money to pay upfront this time. Here," she said as she finally pulled out dozens of one-hundred bills from her bag.

Sasuke didn't hesitate to take the money, and he even counted the bills to make sure that he wasn't left short.

"Hn," the onyx haired man smirked, his back and shoulders relaxing from their normal, tense posture. He was relieved that Karin finally paid upfront for once. Now he wouldn't have to worry.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't have the money this time Sasuke?" Karin questioned from afar, "I told you that I would have it this time, you know?"

"You're actually short a hundred," he dejected in a sarcastic manner.

"What?!" Karin replied in an embarrassed tone, "that can be true. There's no way!" the girl immediately opened her purse to find some extra cash as she pulled out some of her other contents.

Sasuke glanced over to her, initially planning to tell Karin that he was only joking, before he found the redhead pulling out a white flower from her purse along with the other things the redhead removed. His eyes lit up, focusing solely on the flower.

"Where did you get that flower?" he asked, slowly pulling the flower from the girl's grasp. Sasuke carefully examined the petals of the flower.

A carnation.

"Well, I accidently bumped into a pink-haired girl at the wedding on my way out," Karin stated in a calm but confused matter. She wasn't sure as to why Sasuke was asking, but the redhead continued, "she seemed to be in a rush, but she just gave me the flower with no explanation. It was honestly as though she didn't want it. It was weird. I mean, who would give up a flower like that?"

Sasuke kept his eyes on the carnation, continuing to view the white petals before he handed it back to Karin.

"Let's head over to your place," Sasuke said as Karin immediately took hold of his arm.

"With pleasure," the girl replied.

Finally, the two began walking down the street. Karin made idle chit-chat with him in which Sasuke listened, but the man couldn't help but keep a mental note on the carnation. Though he didn't really appreciate flowers himself, Sasuke was confused as to why someone would give one away with the intention of getting rid of it, especially during a joyous occasion.

Just who would want to get rid of something as beautiful as a white carnation: the symbol of pure love and good luck?

* * *

After fumbling with her keys, Sakura finally managed to open the door to her apartment. Rushing in with haste, Sakura kicked her heels off from her feet and plopped the stack of documents she carried to the nearest table she could find: the kitchen counter.

An unconscious sigh escaped past her lips. Her small but cozy apartment was completely shrouded in darkness.

Sakura flicked the light-switch near the door and the apartment illuminated with a glowing light. Feeling a bit more welcomed in her home, Sakura walked through the charcoal colored floors and threw herself on her only gray sofa, only to get a moment of relief.

The pinkette finally came back from the hospital, and after performing two suspenseful procedures on one patient, she was exhausted.

Sakura glanced back to the kitchen counter to find the stack of documents describing that specific patient. The patient arrived to the ER of the hospital early in the night on a stretcher with symptoms of apnea and pallor skin. Nurses declared the patient unconscious at his arrival and administered IVs and tests when Sakura finally showed up.

Out of nowhere, Sakura's phone began ringing.

The pink haired doctor lifted herself from her couch and rushed over to the documents, finding her phone on the top of the pile.

The aching pressure returned to her chest as she gripped her phone in her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura swiped her phone and answered, "Hey Mom. What are you doing, calling me so late?" The girl turned her back and leaned on the counter, waiting for her mother's reply.

"Sakura, my little girl! Are you back home from work? Where are you?"

In hearing her mother's voice, Sakura let out a quiet laugh as she forced a smile: "I came home a few minutes ago Mom. Don't worry."

"Oh Sakura, I can't help but worry! You know how much me and your father love you! We just want to make sure that you are okay." her mother replied in a pleading voice.

"Of course Mom," Sakura acknowledged, "I know."

There was a short pause between the two before the conversation resumed again.

"How was work, dear?"

Sakura peeked back at the stack of documents before carrying them to the coffee table, and sitting on the couch: "I had a patient from the ER. I can't say much than that. Remember about patient confidentiality Mom." The pinkette opened the cover of the first document before she claimed, "I did get stuck with all the paperwork again since my assistant said she would be too busy this week to do it."

There was another pause on the phone: this one being longer than the first.

"Sakura," her mother sighed from the other side of the line, "couldn't someone else take the work?"

In response, the pink haired girl stood from the couch and strolled to her bedroom. "It's okay Mom. I am happy to help out my co-workers and staff when they need help." Oh goodness. Sakura knew where this conversation was going. "I just wanted to be a good friend."

In saying those words, Sakura's small smile soon faded into a concerned expression, the ache in her chest growing stronger by the minute. As Sakura reached her bedroom, she switched on a lamp and plopped herself onto her bed, hoping that the feeling would go away. It didn't.

And the sweet sound of her mother's voice did nothing to sooth her.

"Sakura, sweetheart, this always happens to you," her mother reasoned, "can't you see that your friends are taking advantage of you. I mean, it's your assistant's job to do the paperwork. How can she be too busy for her own job?"

The pinkette only chuckled at her mother's paranoia. Why was her mother always so skeptical?

"Mom, please understand. Their my co-workers and friends. Why would they ever—"

"People will always take advantage of you Sakura. Your kind selflessness has always led you into these situations all the time. When your father and I want to spend time with you, you're stuck doing work for someone else!"

At hearing her mother's anger, Sakura immediately ceased chuckling. She rose from her bed as rage boiled in her core. How could she speak so bluntly like that? Did her mother have no confidence in her daughter that she had to lecture her mid-sentence? Honestly, the only situation that Sakura was led into was the one with her mother lecturing her about nonsense that doesn't exist! The girl plopped down back on her bed.

Her mother seriously had trust issues.

Sakura eyed the adjacent bathroom. After this depressing day, Sakura would need a hot shower to ease her nerves.

The conversation was left silent, yet again, and Sakura knew that her mother was waiting for a reply of acknowledgement. But not this time. The pinette thought it'd be appropriate to change the conversation.

"How's Papa?"

A sigh was released on the other side of the line, and Sakura could clearly note that her mother was annoyed. Hopefully, her mother will drop the conversation as well.

"Your Papa is fine, dear. He really misses you." her mother answered. The concerned tone was obvious to Sakura, and it affected her greatly. Her Papa was always a worrywart. Both she and her mother knew that, but he would constantly try to hide it anyway.

Unlike her relationship with her mother, Sakura's relationship with her Papa was one that was inseparable. Ironically, during her childhood, Sakura was very close to her mom. And truthfully, she and her father never really connected early on. But that was when she was just a little girl. It was different now, but she didn't want to think of it anymore.

"I miss Papa too. Please tell him I said hi."

"Actually Sakura, your father and I were hoping that you could come over this Saturday. We're going to to plant new flowers this season and your father wants an extra hand."

Sakura scrunched her face together; her chest ache stayed persistent. "Did Papa really say that?" Sakura asked.

"Of course dear. Why wouldn't he?" her mother replied, confused by her daughter's question. "Sakura, is something wrong?"

Sakura sighed through the phone. Her shoulders were sore from being tense for so long. "I'm just really tired Mom." Sakura build up the strength to add some emotion to her dull tone, "You wouldn't mind if I sleep through the next few days, right?"

Her mother chuckled on the other side of the line, and Sakura couldn't help but give off a smile. Sadly, her smile was momentary, and Sakura could feel the day's toll weighing her down.

Eventually, the two ended their conversation, and Sakura pushed herself off the large bed before she made haste to the bathroom. Her nerves had to be eased, and a warm shower might do the trick. The pinkette adjusted the shower knob on and quickly striped herself of her clothing.

The spacious bathroom consisted of the same charcoal wood floorboards as the rest of the apartment, but the walls were tiled in white. Before entering the walk-in shower, Sakura glanced over to the large mirror. Her skin looked pale compared to her natural creamy complexion. The rosiness in her cheeks were absent, making her natural pink hair stand out even more than usual. The girl couldn't help but knit her brows together to the point where she could not relax her muscles. This all felt to similar to her.

Once in the shower, the pinkette stood under the hot water, hissing as it hit her back. Steam soon emerged from the bathroom and covered the glass and mirrors in fog. Sakura could only lean forward into the wall, taking deep breaths. Her lungs felt empty as though there was not oxygen. It was as if her lungs were being squeezed. It didn't matter. Sakura could get through this.

After a long while under the water, Sakura quickly went to wash herself. The water was running cold by then, but the pinkette still continued to taking in deep breaths. Once she was done, Sakura dried herself with a fuzzy warm towel before changing into sweatpants and an old tank top.

The girl rushed into her large bed, pulling up the covers just before slipping under them. She moved around in the bed, finding a comfortable position to sleep with. In the end, Sakura laid down on her back with her hands to her sides. She quickly turned off the lamp on the nightstand before closing her eyes.

It only took her a moment to notice, but the pink haired girl didn't realize how tight she closed her eyes. Her pale face scrunched up as the girl's shoulders tensed. Sakura inhaled and exhaled, moving a hand to her chest.

The pain she was feeling just wouldn't leave.

A small grunt escaped past Sakura's lips. Her breathing only hastened as she turned to her side into a fetal position. Her head was pounding, and the breaths that she pulled into her body didn't satisfy her lungs. The intense pressure in her lungs felt like Sakura was being squeezed to death.

Sakura was gagging at that point, in between her hyperventilating breaths. Her whole body was throbbing painfully, and it wouldn't stop. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She let out a sob.

It hurt so much.

She couldn't sleep that night.

* * *

Sweat beaded down his forehead. His breathing was harsh and frantic as he ravaged her neck with open mouth kisses, leaving behind a trail of wet, red marks all over her skin. Karin mewled under him, wrapping her arms around his bare shoulders. With her nails digging into his flesh, the onyx haired man couldn't help but let out a hiss at the feeling.

Sasuke's skin was on fire. His blood was boiling hot when he thrusted his hips into Karin's sweet sex, but that didn't stop him from his rapid pace. The redhead shuddered under him, her walls clenching around his hard cock. Sasuke let out a hoarse groan.

He was in utter bliss.

"Sasuke!... Please," the girl said, thrusting her hips to meet with his. Sasuke looked over to her, surprised when she unexpectedly pulled him into a passionate kiss. She was desperate at this point, he could tell. Their tongues tangled together in the kiss, competing for dominance.

At that point, Sasuke gripped her hip while his other hand slide under Karin's neck. They continued thrusting into each other.

She climaxed twice before he came inside her, but they didn't stop.

He didn't sleep that night.

* * *

Alright everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the story! This is my first Naruto story, and I am totally new to making an account on , but I do hope that I can share my stories with you all.

Please leave a review! I can't say that I will consistently upload, but I can say that review motivate me! Naturally, I am not the best writer, so if you find any mistakes in the chapters or have advice on how I can strengthen plot and character development, please feel free to tell me! I would really appreciate it!

On another note, I don't want to sound brazen, but I want to link certain characters with songs that help identify their current emotions and thoughts going on to the next chapter. I think it would be really fun, but I want your opinion. Should I do it?

Anyways, thanks again for checking out my story! Leave a review, and I'll get back to you.

Until then,

Another Way


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